owners of intact females I need input!

[stardogs]

So I was pretty sure Aeri was done with heat, but something I saw today has me confused and slightly concerned.

Background: Aeri was veeery interesting to intact males the last week of December, had behavioral symptoms the first week of January, mild bloody discharge on the 9th, swelling on the 10th, friend's male was uninterested when we met for training last week. I had seen no signs of heat for the past 10-14 days.

Today: I let Aeri out for her first potty outing this morning and then fed the dogs right after. I noted a drip of something on the floor while she was eating and when I went to wipe it up I realized it looked like it could be bloody discharge (thin, slightly brick red colored) so I checked Aeri and found that she had similar discharge on her vulva.

I was quite puzzled, but put her undies on to be able to monitor this discharge. I removed the panties an hour later and saw only a slight bit of the brownish-red discharge on the pad and a wipe of her vulva came back completely dry. I left the panties off and checked her again about 30 mins later with still no more discharge at all. Her vulva is not swollen like it was the second week of January.

I let her out a little bit ago, after a clear check about an hour prior, she peed, and when she came back in there was tons more brownish-red discharge, some appearing to have dried a bit already. She's wearing her panties again for close observation this evening.

She's not acting ill at all, her drinking appears normal, though she does seem to be peeing less frequently. Kestrel has been veeeery interested in Aeri's rear end for the last 3 days, but he showed no interest during her first heat *or* the heat I saw in January.

My first thought was UTI, but would a UTI have so much brownish red discharge without any other symptoms? I'd really like it to be this since 1. it's simple to treat and 2. Aeri's entered in a dock diving event next weekend and in-heat females aren't allowed. :P

Then I thought heat again, but that seems odd given the well documented and apparently normal heat cycle in January.

Then I started worrying about open pyo, but the discharge is not consistent, is not pus-y or green, and she's not acting sick, like I've always been told to look for.

I'm planning on seeing if I can get in to see one of our vets tomorrow, but I'm going to feel really silly if they tell me it's just a weird heat or something, so I figured I'd see if anyone here had any thoughts.

I also have a note in to Aeri's breeder to get her input, but she's not online right now.

[Emily]

Could she be having a split heat?

http://www.vonevmans.com/articles/rx...phonerings.asp

[stardogs]

Yea that's crossed my mind as well, though she did flag a fair amount during heat in January so it still doesn't quite fit. :\

[Shai]

My first thought was a weird split heat but I really don't know, sorry...
Could you call your vet first and just ask, or are they the type that always want you to come in regardless?

[stardogs]

I can def call them and ask before scheduling the appt but both are closed on Sunday. :P I'd kind of like them to do a vaginal smear to see what the cells look like if there's any risk of her being in heat again - both for the whole dock dog event thing *and* since we hang out with intact males fairly regularly. Argh.

[stardogs]

Argh. The more reading I do, the more it sounds like a split heat. Not cool!

[Shai]

Yeah, good call. I do hope she's okay but I wouldn't worry to much yet either. Sorry you have to go through this though...just when you were probably happy as a lark that you were golden for the next however-many-months in terms of entering her in competitions too. Argh!

[Renee750il]

These damned Fila bitches will throw their heats all over the place when their desire to breed is thwarted -- probably a survival trait. It could be something akin to that.

[stardogs]

Yea just talked with Steph and she agrees that it sounds like a split heat, though of course I'll be keeping a good eye on it just in case. I may take her in tomorrow just to rule out a uti, too.

Just my luck that she hits a split heat in time to throw out $100 in entry fees. Grrrrrr.

[Shai]

They won't reimburse if you bring a "my dog is in heat" slip from your vet?